Police have arrested and charged a Camden man with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, receiving stolen property, and resisting arrest.
According to officials, several Camden County police officers approached the 1400 block of Independence Road to investigate alleged drug activity. When they did so, 24-year-old Joshua Bonilla reportedly ran away and tossed a stolen Ruger P95 9mm handgun over a fence. The police soon caught up with Bonilla, arrested him, and recovered the weapon.
Bonilla, who is now being held at Camden County Jail in default of $50,000 cash or bond, is facing serious charges and may be subject to severe penalties if convicted. For example, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, detailed under N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4, can be a second, third, or fourth degree offense, depending on the facts of the alleged crime and the weapon used. A second degree offense would result in a sentence of 5 to 10 years in a state prison, even if the defendant has no prior criminal record. Since the weapon was a handgun, the defendant could also face a sentence of 3 to 5 years in state prison for unlawful possession of a weapon.
For more information about this case, access the following article: Camden man had stolen handgun, ran from officers, police say
